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Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has become one of the first Democratic governors to ban the use of TikTok on state-issued devices...researchers at Kansas State University are hoping that gene editing techniques can turn cover crops into a source of biofuel without displacing food crops...and Lawrence Transit will offer free bus rides in 2023. Details on these stories and more can be found here.

These area headlines are curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Kaye McIntyre, and Tom Parkinson. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays, 11 am weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today!

Senate President Doubts Passage of Anti-Gay Marriage BillTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The president of the Kansas Senate says her chamber is unlikely to pass a bill that would prevent lawsuits against someone who refuses, for religious reasons, to provide services to gay and lesbians. The bill passed the House on Wednesday, drawing strong reaction from across the country. It would prohibit government sanctions or lawsuits over faith-based refusals to recognize same-sex unions or to provide goods, services, accommodations or employment benefits to couples. Senate President Susan Wagle issued a statement Thursday night saying a majority of Republicans in the chamber don't support the bill. She says most Republican senators support traditional marriage and protecting religious freedom, but they also don't condone discrimination. Most Democrats in the Senate have already said they oppose the bill.===============Ex-KBI Official's Attorney: No Child Was in DangerTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The attorney for a former Kansas Bureau of Investigation deputy director charged with sexual exploitation of a child says no child was ever in danger. Thomas Haney told The Associated Press on Friday that his client, 57-year-old Kyle G. Smith, isn't accused of approaching, touching or having any communication with a child. Haney says the charge involves claims that Smith looked at an image. Smith was charged Thursday with one count of looking at a sexually explicit image of a child. He also faces two counts of interference with law enforcement, alleging he tried to destroy evidence on a telephone and on a computer. Haney says Smith's first court appearance will likely be scheduled in April when the case appears on a criminal assignment docket. Smith is free on bond.===============Kansas AG Office Awards Crime Victim FundsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A program administered by the Kansas attorney general's office has awarded more than $296,000 to victims of violent crimes in its latest round of distributions. Attorney General Derek Schmidt's office says the Kansas Crime Victims Compensation Board approved the payments for 233 individuals at its February meeting. The program was established in 1978 to help victims and those affected by violent crime meet such expenses as medical bills, mental health counseling, lost wages and funeral costs. Funding for the program comes from court costs and fines, parole fees, restitution paid by offenders and wages earned by inmates for work they perform in state prisons.=============== House Committee Rejects Bonds for KU Basketball ApartmentsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas went one-for-two before state legislative committees considering bonding authority for two major projects. A House committee Thursday rejected the university's request for $17.5 million in bonding authority to build 66 high-end apartments, with 32 used by student-athletes. University officials say they need the upscale living to compete for basketball recruits. Two state representatives on the House Education Budget Committee said the project was extravagant, and the university's sports boosters could pay for it. Earlier Thursday, a House-Senate committee approved the university's request for bonding authority for a $75 million health education building at the KU Medical Center. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the university wants the state to pay $15 million over several years. The committee recommended approval of the first $1.4 million.===============KS Supreme Court Overturns Lawrence Man's ConvictionLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A former Lawrence man will get a new trial in the 2004 death of his wife. The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday overturned the murder conviction of Martin Miller. He was convicted of strangling his 46-year-old wife, Mary Miller, at their home because he was having an affair and wanted to collect $300,000 in life insurance. The Lawrence Journal-World reports the Kansas Court of Appeals ruled in February 2012 that Miller should get a new trial because of errors in jury instructions at his 2005 trial. The Kansas Supreme Court agreed on Friday that the jury instructions were incorrect. The court said the jurors were told they could acquit Miller only if they had a reasonable doubt on every element of the charge, rather than on just one element.===============Bond Set at $1M for Suspects in Woman's MurderJUNCTION CITY, Kan. (AP) — A judge has set bond at $1 million for three people arrested after this week's discovery of a woman's body in rural northeast Kansas. KJCK-AM in in Junction City reports that a woman and two men made first appearances Friday in Geary County District Court. Formal charges have not been filed, but two suspects were arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and the third on suspicion of aiding a murder. Investigators looking for a Junction City woman missing since Feb. 7 found a body Wednesday in rural Geary County. The identity has not been confirmed, but authorities say the body matches the description of 24-year-old Amanda Clemons. Witnesses reported seeing Clemons being placed in a car outside a Junction City motel the night she disappeared.===============Judge Sets Fall Trial Date Over Use of RestraintsWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has scheduled a trial for a man who claims the juvenile detention center in Sedgwick County violated his rights by using a restraining chair as punishment. U.S. District Judge Monti Belot set the October 14 date in the wake of last year's appeals court ruling that Brandon Blackmon is entitled to a trial. Blackmon sued as an adult in 2005 over treatment he received at the facility as an 11-year-old while awaiting trial on criminal charges that were later dismissed. The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said jailers had made "liberal use" of the restraining chair, in which a person is immobilized with straps. The appeals court upheld a lower court's refusal to dismiss Blackmon's lawsuit against the Sedgwick County Board of Commissioners and its employees.===============Topeka Officials: Bullying Claims UnsubstantiatedTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Topeka officials have found nothing to substantiate anonymous allegations of office bullying at city court. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that city manager Jim Colson said Thursday that the city's human resources and legal department interviewed 11 municipal court employees while investigating the claims. The complaint was made in a letter sent to the city and media outlets. It centers on the municipal court, which is overseen by administrative judge Vic Miller. The letter didn't allege Miller directly bullied anyone, but claimed he didn't stop two employees from engaging in what the letter writer called hostile behavior. City spokeswoman Suzie Gilbert says the people mentioned in the letter remain employed in the same capacities.===============Report: KS Crop Values Declined in 2013WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Agriculture Department is estimating the total value of Kansas crop production last year at $7.79 billion, a drop of 4 percent from 2012. The agency's National Agricultural Statistics Service calculates crop values by multiplying the average marketing price by the amount of production in each state. Friday's report said Kansas wheat production in 2013 was valued at $2.22 billion, down 22 percent from the previous year. The value of Kansas corn produced for grain was pegged at $2.31 billion last year, a drop of 13 percent. Soybean values for 2013 were estimated at $1.59 billion, up 30 percent from the previous year.===============Commuter Plane Makes Belly Landing at KS AirportSALINA, Kan. (AP) — Officials at Salina Regional Airport are investigating the belly landing of a small commuter plane with only the pilot and co-pilot on board. Kansas Public Radio reports the SeaPort Airlines Pilatus PC-12 turboprop plane came down with its landing gear up shortly after 10 am Friday. Medical personnel reported no serious injuries to the two crew members. A spokeswoman for the Salina Airport Authority says it's not yet known whether pilot error or equipment failure was to blame. SeaPort Airlines is based in Oregon and flies to nine states.===============Man Convicted in Death of Wichita Football PlayerWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man will face a minimum sentence of life without parole for 25 years for killing a former Wichita high school football star. Twenty-one-year-old Kristofer JaQuinton Wright was convicted Thursday of premeditated first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the death of Jordan Turner. The former star at Wichita South High School was shot to death in a field last March. Prosecutors say Turner was killed because he cheated a woman out of $300 in a marijuana deal. The Wichita Eagle reports that three other people were charged in Turner's death. Wright's lawyer argued that the shooting was intentional but was not premeditated.=============== Missing Lawrence Man Found Dead in Car at HospitalLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Lawrence man who was the subject of a Silver Alert earlier this week was found dead inside his vehicle in the parking lot of Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Authorities said Thursday no foul play is suspected in the death of 65-year-old George Sundstrom. Lawrence police Sergeant Trent McKinley said officers found a man dead inside his car at the hospital Tuesday night. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that officers were called by people searching for Sundstrom, who was the subject of a Silver Alert earlier that day. McKinley says officers immediately confirmed the vehicle belonged to Sundstrom but couldn't confirm the body's identity. Sundstrom had been missing since February 6.=============== KC Corps Officials Urge Caution Around IceKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Officials are urging people to be cautious around ice-covered Midwestern lakes as temperatures rise this week. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a news release Thursday that there is no such thing as 100 percent safe ice. The corps' Kansas City district urged people to watch for deteriorating conditions at its 18 lakes throughout Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. The corps says it's impossible to judge the strength of ice by its appearance, thickness or temperature. Strength also is based on the depth of water under the ice, size of the water body, water chemistry and currents. The corps also noted that ice seldom freezes uniformly. That means it may be a foot thick in one location but only an inch or two thick just a few feet away.===============Man Pleads Guilty in St. Joseph HomicideST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — A St. Joseph man has pleaded guilty to participating in the beating death of a man whose body was dumped near the Missouri River in Leavenworth. Forty-nine-year-old Martin Rilinger pleaded guilty Thursday to second-degree murder in the September murder of 38-year-old Jason Davies. Authorities say Davies was killed at a St. Joseph apartment before his body was taken to the river. Another suspect, 39-year-old Robert Jarrell, is also charged in the case. The St. Joseph News-Press reports that Rilinger was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Rilinger told the court Jarrell was beaten with a frying pan and baseball bat during a fight. No one in the apartment stopped the fight, and they eventually took the body to the river, using a wheelbarrow to dispose of it.===============NCAA Reinstates WSU Baseball Players Snagged in Apparel DustupWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita State says it has received word that the NCAA is reinstating 16 baseball players who had been declared ineligible for competition this year for receiving discounted merchandise and apparel. The university said Friday that eight players will be withheld from competition for a period correlating to the amount of benefits each received. Depending on the player, that could be three, six or nine games missed. Athletic director Eric Sexton says in a news release the university feels the outcome is fair, and that the university had been working with the NCAA since first discovering the potential eligibility issues. Head baseball coach Todd Butler called this an unfortunate situation for all involved. He says the players and program will overcome and move on to the upcoming season.

Court Rejects KSU's Professor's Sentence ChallengeLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Douglas County judge has rejected a former Kansas State University professor's lawsuit challenging his prison sentence for killing his ex-wife. Thomas Murray is serving a sentence of 25 years to life for the stabbing death of 40-year-old Carmin Ross in November 2003 in her home in rural Douglas County. He filed a civil lawsuit in January challenging the sentence, claiming that his attorney did not properly defend him during his 2005 trial. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Douglas County District Judge Robert Fairchild ruled Tuesday that Murray had an adequate defense during his trial. The lawsuit was a civil case filed under a state law that allows prisoners to challenge their sentences. His criminal conviction was upheld by the Kansas Supreme Court in 2008.============ GOP Groups Condemn Commissioner Who Uttered Slur SALINA, Kan. (AP) — The chairman of the Saline County commission says the right thing to do is to forgive another commissioner who used a racial slur in a public meeting. Commission Chairman Randy Duncan said Friday that commissioners have not pressured Jim Gile to resign, noting he has apologized. Duncan says the next step is up to Gile. During a hearing last week, Gile used a variant of a racial slur to imply a job done sloppily or hastily. When asked what he meant, Gile replied: "Afro-Americanized." The Kansas Republican Party and the Kansas Young Republicans issued statements Thursday to the Salina Journal criticizing Gile. They said his comments were offensive and did not reflect the party's beliefs. They also condemned the commission for not objecting to them.============UPDATE: Oklahoma AMBER Alert Cancelled; Baby FoundGROVE, Okla. (AP) _ An Amber Alert for a missing 8-month-old girl has been canceled after the baby was found safe at a hospital in Grove. Delaware County Sheriff Harlan Moore told the Tulsa World that Carolinn Altaffer was taken to the hospital shortly before 11 am Friday by her mother, China Altaffer. Moore says Carolinn is safe and the mother is in custody. Authorities were also searching for the baby's father, Ronald Altaffer. The sheriff says investigators did not know where the father is. Carolinn was described as extremely malnourished and needing immediate medical attention when the Amber Alert was issued shortly after 1 am Friday. Authorities say the parents took the child after learning that state Department of Human Services workers were preparing to take the girl into emergency custody.============Brownback Vetoes Bill on Home InspectionsTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Sam Brownback has issued his first veto of a bill from this year's legislative session. Brownback on Thursday vetoed a bill that would have made a board that regulates home inspectors a permanent board. Without the extension, the board will expire July 1. The governor said in a statement that he saw little evidence that large numbers of Kansans are being harmed by home inspectors. He says the board adds unnecessary fees and regulations to law abiding citizens. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the board, which was created in 2008, is funded every year by about $15,000 in fees, not the state general fund. The bill was supported by the Kansas Association of Real Estate Inspectors and the Kansas Association of Realtors.============ Fort Riley to Host Veteran Job FairFORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) — Military veterans will have an opportunity this month to put their names and resumes in front of prospective employers at the annual "Hiring Heroes Career Fair" at Fort Riley. The event takes place April 16 at the conference center on the northeast Kansas Army post. Veterans will be exposed to career opportunities in the region in the public and private sector. Army officials expect more than 50 potential employers will attend the fair. Emphasis will be placed on wounded veterans, their spouses and their primary caregivers. Jeff Reade, manager of the employee readiness program for Army Community Service, says the fair is significant because of the growing difficulty for veterans to find jobs compared with civilians.============KS Supreme Court Orders New Trial in Topeka HomicideTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a man convicted of a Topeka murder that occurred after an argument over a game of pool. The court ruled Friday that James Arthur Qualls should get a new trial for the July 2008 shooting death of 30-year-old Joseph Beier in the Whiplash Bar. Qualls was convicted of first-degree murder after a 2010 trial. The court said Shawnee County District Court Judge Jan Leuenberger should have instructed the jury to consider a voluntary manslaughter conviction. The jury was given options only for first-degree murder and second-degree intentional murder. The Topeka Capital-Journal reportsthat Qualls testified during his trial that he thought shot Beier because he thought the man was reaching for a weapon. No weapon was ever found on Beier.============Man Says KCMO Hospital Removed Him from Partner's RoomKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A gay man who was arrested after he refused to leave his partner's side at a Kansas City hospital says it was discrimination, but the hospital says he was causing a disturbance. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is looking into the allegations from Roger Gorley, who was arrested Tuesday at Research Medical Center. Gorley says he and his partner are in a civil union and have been together for five years, but when he got into an argument with his partner's brother, the hospital deferred to the brother regarding his partner's care. Hospital spokeswoman Denise Charpentier says everyone in the hospital room was asked to leave, and Gorley was removed because he was "belligerent." She says the hospital has a longstanding policy of allowing domestic partner visitation.============Fire Breaks Out at Wichita Pet Treat PlantWICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Welding work is suspected of causing a fire at a Wichita pet treat plant where another fire burned for days two years ago. KWCH-TV reports that employees escaped unhurt when the fire erupted Thursday afternoon in a building at the Treatco complex in north Wichita. Captain Stuart Bevis, of the Wichita Fire Department, says a welding spark apparently ignited combustible plastic foam material. The burning foam sent thick, black smoke into the air, visible for miles away. Authorities said parts of the building remain unsafe because of damage from a fire that burned for more than five days in June 2011. That fire was especially intense because the flames ignited boxes full of dog treats that had a heavy content of animal fat.============3rd Body Found Near Burned-Out SE Kansas HomeFORT SCOTT, Kan. (AP) — Investigators are looking into the deaths of three people in and around a home that burned in southeastern Kansas. KOAM-TV reports that the Bourbon County sheriff's office confirmed Friday that the bodies of a child and an adult were found Thursday in the wreckage of the home near Fort Scott.The body of a male was discovered in a vehicle outside the home.The state fire marshal and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation are looking into the blaze, which broke out Wednesday afternoon. Names and other details about the three people found dead have not been released, and the bodies were taken to Kansas City, Kansas for autopsies.============Judge Rules Against Ex-Consultant in Ticket ScamWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has refused to shorten the sentence of a former University of Kansas athletics consultant caught up in a $2 million ticket scalping conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Monti Belot ruled Friday that Thomas Blubaugh is not entitled to a reduction in his 46-month prison term. The judge rejected Blubaugh's claims that his former attorney did a poor job representing him. Belot also was unconvinced by arguments that the sentencing judge improperly considered the value of tickets that Blubaugh hid in a storage facility. Blubaugh was among seven people convicted in a $2 million scheme involving the theft and sale of Jayhawk tickets. He was convicted in 2011 of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. through wire fraud, tax obstruction and interstate transportation of stolen property.============Kansas Teacher Saves Choking Fourth-GraderGRANDVIEW PLAZA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas fourth-grader says she thought she was going to die before her teacher saved her from choking on a mint. WIBW-TV reports that the episode happened Thursday at the elementary school in the town of Grandview Plaza, located just east of Junction City. Grandview Elementary teacher Stephanie Chabon was about to administer a state assessment test when pupil Connie Nellis began choking on a mint. Chabon says the 9-year-old girl jumped and started gesturing that she couldn't breathe. Chabon administered the Heimlich maneuver, and the mint popped out after a couple of squeezes. Connie got a drink of water, thanked her teacher and sat down to take the test. Chabon says she's been taking first aid classes since college and gets recertified each year.============Kansas Rancher Drops Lawsuit over Beef CheckoffWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A northwest Kansas rancher has dropped a lawsuit claiming the National Cattlemen's Beef Association is illegally using "beef checkoff" funds for lobbying. St. Francis feed yard operator Michael Callicrate filed a notice of voluntary dismissal Thursday in federal court in Kansas. Callicrate sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other entities seeking a court order prohibiting any beef promotion program dollars from going to the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. His legal move comes a week after the Agriculture Department's Office of Inspector General released a report finding no evidence that the association board's activities did not comply with legislation. The inspector general's office said it examined more than a thousand invoices amounting to more than $20.5 million in reimbursement payments from the beef checkoff fund.============Development Group to Tout River Recreation OpportunitiesTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — State officials are hoping a newly established Kansas River Development Committee will make new tourism and recreational opportunities flow along the Kansas River. The 173-mile Kansas River, known also as the Kaw, has been designated by the U.S. Department of Interior as a National Water Trail.============KC Serial Killer's Nephew Gets 2 Life SentencesKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The nephew of a Kansas City serial killer has been sentenced to two life terms plus 100 years for a deadly robbery. Thirty-seven-year-old Diamond Blair is the nephew of Terry Blair, who is serving life in prison for killing six women in 2004. On Friday, a Jackson County judge sentenced Diamond Blair for the 2009 robbery and fatal shooting of killing of Montague Kevin Ashline outside a Kansas City apartment. The sentence includes one life term each for murder and robbery, plus 50 years each on two counts of armed criminal action. All of the sentences are to run consecutively. Diamond Blair is already serving 23 years behind bars on a federal conviction.============Nebraska Picketing Law Challenge Goes to Federal CourtOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A federal appeals court has kicked back to a lower court a challenge of Nebraska's amended law that requires protesters to stand 500 feet away from a funeral service — 200 feet more than the 300 feet the law had previously required. In December, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated its 2011 opinion striking down Nebraska's original funeral protest law. That came after the appeals court had ruled two months earlier that the St. Louis suburb of Manchester, Missouri, could enforce a similar funeral protest ordinance. The 8th Circuit said Friday that it did not become aware Nebraska had enacted an amended version of the protest law pushing protesters further back until recently, and that the U.S. District Court in Lincoln should hear the challenge to it first.============Harrison Ford in KC for Premiere of Jackie Robinson FilmActor Harrison Ford was in Kansas City yesterday (THUR) for a local premiere of the film "42," about Jackie Robinson. The Kansas City Star reports that the event raised about $200,000 for the Negro Leagues Basball Museum and the Kansas City Sports Commission.============ Scabies Outbreak Prompts Closure of Kansas CollegeGOODLAND, Kan. (AP) — A northwest Kansas technical college is closed until next week after an outbreak of a contagious skin disease caused by tiny mites. KWCH-TV reports the first report of scabies at Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland came Tuesday when a student went to the administration with symptoms. Other cases showed up at the Goodland Regional Medical Center on Wednesday, prompting the school to contact the Sherman County Health Department. The campus will be closed until Tuesday so the itch mites that cause the ailment, which need human hosts to survive, will die within two to three days. The health department is conducting a campus-wide screening of all students, faculty and staff. Anyone who lives in the school's dorm is recommended for treatment, which consists of using a topical ointment.============ Pratt Police Investigating Rash of BurglariesPRATT, Kan. (AP) — Pratt police are asking for help to solve a string of burglaries the south-central Kansas town. Detective Jeff Ward says many of the recent thefts in the last three weeks have been at storage units. The Pratt Daily Tribune reports that the most recent complaint involved thefts at 12 or 13 storage units in the Pratt Business Center. Ward says property from the storage units was tossed around but not much was stolen. Police also responded to 14 burglaries at four storage units in March. Several suspects were arrested in that case. The Pratt County Sheriff's Department is also investigating several thefts at storage facilities in the county. The Pratt City Water Department also has been hit, with copper, brass and tools stolen in several burglaries.============ Missouri Man Suspected in 2 Murders Commits SuicideLIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — A northwest Missouri man suspected of killing two women died days after trying to commit suicide in his jail cell. Police say 27-year-old Derek Richardson of Kansas City died Thursday after a suicide attempt on Sunday in the Clay County jail. Richardson was charged in the deaths of 40-year-old Tamara R. Sparks and 24-year-old Nicoleone M. Reed. The women were each killed during sex acts and their bodies were left on gravel roads in the Kansas City area. The Kansas City Star reportsthat police said they believed Richardson, a married father, aspired to be a serial killer. Police would not say how Richardson injured himself in the jail.============Colorado Teen Pleads Not Guilty in Girl's SlayingGOLDEN, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado teen has pleaded not guilty to murder and kidnapping in the slaying and dismemberment of a 10-year-old girl — despite police testimony that he has confessed. Austin Sigg entered the not guilty plea Friday in the death of Jessica Ridgeway in the Denver suburb of Westminster. Jessica disappeared while walking to school on October 5, leading parents to take extraordinary precautions to keep their children safe. Residents were encouraged to report suspicious behavior by neighbors. Sigg's not guilty plea came despite his alleged confession and the discovery of some of the girl's remains at his home. He faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years if convicted. Sigg, who is 18, cannot face the death penalty because he was 17 at the time of the slaying.============ Navy to Name New Combat Ship for City of WichitaWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The U.S. Navy plans to name a combat ship after the City of Wichita. U.S. Senator Pat Roberts said in a news release Thursday that the USS Wichita will be the third to bear the name and honors the largest city in Kansas. The ship is designed to be fast and agile with the flexibility to execute missions close to shore in mine, anti-submarine and surface warfare. The USS Wichita will be built by Lockheed Martin for delivery in February 2017. It will be 378 feet long and able to travel at more than 40 knots. U.S. Representative Mike Pompeo says the last USS Wichita was a replenishment oiler decommissioned in 1993. The first USS Wichita was a heavy cruiser used during World War Two in the invasion of Okinawa.============ Kansas Woman to Stand Trial in Honor Flight Theft CaseGREAT BEND, Kan. (AP) — A Great Bend woman who ran a group that flew World War Two veterans to Washington, D.C., has been bound over for trial on two felony counts of theft by deception. LaVeta Miller pleaded not guilty Wednesday after a lengthy preliminary hearing that began in March but had to be continued because of scheduling conflicts. Miller is former head of Great Bend-based Central Prairie Honor Flights, which raised nearly $1.2 million to take 1,100 veterans to Washington from 2008 through 2011. Miller canceled two Honor Flights last June because she said there was a shortage of funds, and the Central Prairie chapter was disbanded around the time she was fired July 1st.============Kansas City Chiefs Sign Former K-State Linebacker DilesKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs signed former Kansas State linebacker Zac Diles on Friday. Diles has spent six seasons in the NFL after he was drafted in the seventh round by the Houston Texans. He has appeared in 67 games with 31 starts for the Texans, Colts, Buccaneers and Titans, making 223 tackles with a sack and an interception. Diles appeared in all 24 games in two seasons for the Wildcats. He began his college career at Fresno City College, where he started 22 games over two seasons.============K-State Begins Search for New Starting QuarterbackThe search for Collin Klein's replacement has begun at Kansas State University. The Wildcats will open their spring camp with sophomore Daniel Sams and junior-college transfer Jake Waters the leading candidates to replace the Heisman Trophy finalist, who led Kansas State to the Big 12 championship last season. Sams played sparingly in mop-up duty, but showed the kind of speed an elusiveness that should make him a fit for coach Bill Snyder's read-option offense. Waters threw for more than 3,500 yards and 39 touchdowns with only three interceptions while leading Iowa Western Community College to a national championship last season. Kansas State is working toward its spring game April 27.============ Heaps Tapped for QB as KU Preps for Spring Football GameLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Jake Heaps is finally getting his shot to lead the Kansas Jayhawks. The former BYU quarterback had to sit out last season under NCAA transfer rules, and watched from the sideline as the Jayhawks went 1-11 in coach Charlie Weis's first season. Now, Heaps is the number 1 QB on the depth chart entering Saturday's spring game and the job is his to lose. Heaps will be pushed by Michael Cummings, who started last season when Dayne Crist proved to be ineffective. The game kicks off at 1 pm Saturday at Memorial Stadium.============Amber Alert Issued for 8-Month-Old Oklahoma GirlGROVE, Okla. (AP) — Authorities in Oklahoma are searching for an 8-month-old baby who went missing as Department of Human Services workers were preparing to take the girl into emergency custody. Authorities issued an Amber Alert early Friday for Carolinn Altaffer. The Delaware County Sheriff's Office says investigators believe the girl's parents took the child and say they may be headed to Kansas. According to the Amber Alert, Carolinn is "extremely malnourished" and requires immediate medical treatment. Authorities are searching for a tan 2003 Chevrolet pickup with the Oklahoma license plate of 474-HLD.**this story has been updated. The AMBER Alert has been cancelled.

Here's a summary of the day's Kansas news headlines from the Associated Press as compiled by the KPR news staff.

Here's the latest Kansas and regional news from the Associated Press and KPR newsroom.

The longtime GOP consultant and self-described "dirty trickster" was indicted on charges of obstruction, making false statements to Congress and witness tampering. He says he has done nothing wrong.

Here are the AP headlines for our area, as compiled by KPR news staffers.

McCabe faces potential criminal charges after the outcome of an internal investigation. McCabe says he has done nothing wrong and broken no law.

Police were called to a domestic dispute in an apartment Saturday morning. Majors was charged with assault, strangulation and harassment. A representative for Majors said he "has done nothing wrong."